Murcia and Spanish news round-up week ending 15th June 2018

Prepare to bake on the beaches of the Costa Cálida: the summer starts here!

After an unsettled spring there is a definite feel of summer in the air in the Region of Murcia this week, with temperatures set to climb up towards the mid-30s over the weekend, schoolchildren about to be unleashed on their unsuspecting parents for over two months, the World Cup under way and beaches being spruced up for the imminent arrival of thousands of holiday-makers.

During the week 37 of the beaches in the Costa Cálida were re-awarded their “Q for Quality” status in recognition of the quality of services they provide, and lifeguard staff are starting their long summer stint all along the coastline of the Mediterranean and the Mar Menor, where the latest measurements show that water quality continues to improve.

Elsewhere, another step forward was taken towards the opening of the new airport in Corvera with the completion of 27 hours of equipment calibration flights, and as the new national government finds its feet there is a sense of optimism that Pedro Sánchez and his Cabinet will be appreciative of the need for other major infrastructure projects in Murcia, such as the extension of the AVE high-speed rail network to the Region, to go ahead either as planned or even, if the Mayor of La Unión has his way in the case of the regeneration project in the bay of Portmán, more quickly!

Passenger numbers at San Javier airport rise for the 20th month in a row: last month was the busiest May at San Javier for eight years, with UK and Ireland flights accounting for 90 per cent of traffic.

La Unión Mayor to demand boost for Portmán regeneration project: Pedro López Millán will request a meeting with the new Minister for Ecological Transition, who was involved in the first attempt to regenerate the bay in 2011.

1.8 million euros for 4-year birdlife conservation project in San Pedro del Pinatar: the project also aims to improve salt production in the flats of the regional park, and will mean the recovery of the first kilometre of the Playa de la Llana.

Objections were raised to the decision to paint these crossings as a gesture of support for the LGTBi community on two fronts, one ideological, with banners draped over railings by the Francoist “Falange Española” group, and the other concerning a possible breach of road safety regulations, but councillor Juan José Cánovas dismissed criticism, saying that all is on order and similar gestures have been made in other parts of Spain. Sr Cánovas also reiterated that the aim of the rainbow crossings is merely to “give visibility to the campaign to guarantee the rights of the LFTBi collective”, while lamenting the “homophobic attitude” of those who have seen fit to spray white paint on parts of the re-painted crossings.

Cartagena offers to take in Aquarius refugees: 629 migrants fleeing Libya are on their way to Spain after being turned away by Italy, and Mayoress Ana Belén Castejón was among the municipal premiers expressing her willingness to help provide them with homes.

In some ways this was to be expected due to Easter week falling in March this year, but the significance of the increase suggests that activity in the market is still on a sharp upward trend: in the first four months of the year the number of residential property sales registered in Spain rose by 15.6 per cent, and cumulative total over the last twelve months has reached its highest level since March 2009, having risen by 66 per cent February 2014.

In the Region of Murcia, meanwhile, the April increase was even more spectacular at over 50 per cent, and the market is now busier than at any time in the last 7 years following a 20 per cent rise in the last twelve months: more and more people are opting to buy here, not only among foreign residents looking for affordable homes in the sun, but also Spaniards sensing an opportunity to take advantage of relatively low prices.

Elsewhere, a warning for those renting out their properties to holiday-makers this summer: Hacienda published a warning on Tuesday advising such individuals on the taxes they are obliged to pay, particularly mentioning those who advertise on platforms such as Airbnb, Homeaway, Booking, and Niumba.

Spanish news summary: a shock football sacking and a ministerial resignation grab the headlines while the King’s brother-in-law prepares to enter prison

Luis Rubiales, the president of Spain’s football federation, announced the decision shortly after it emerged that Lopetegui had signed a 3-year contract to manage Real Madrid after the World Cup is over, explaining that the federation “must stick to its principles”. However, the controversy is likely to rumble on, with many observers feeling that he reacted rashly, and should Spain perform poorly Sr Rubiales may find his own job coming under scrutiny.

On a day of surprising changes in top sport-related jobs in Spain, Julen Lopetegui’s sacking came at almost exactly the same time as the resignation of Màxim Huerta, who had occupied the post of Minister for Culture and Sport for just 6 days. On this occasion the reason behind his departure from the ministry was that it came to light in the press earlier in the day that in 2006 Sr Huerta had been ordered to pay back 218,322 euros in tax which he had failed to pay while pursuing his career as a television presenter, and after a day of resisting pressure to resign he and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez finally agreed that it was for the best.

In the meantime, the former Duke of Palma and double Olympic handball medal winner, has been allowed to return to the family home in Geneva for the weekend – he and Cristina have 4 children – but on Monday the long-running Nóos corruption scandal will finally result in him being behind bars.

It is rare for the three top news stories to be tied together encapsulated by just one image, but on this occasion the photograph above achieves just that: last week the Minister of Sport met the President of the Spanish football federation along with the King of Spain at an event to send off the team as they bid for glory at the World Cup: from left to right, Luis Rubiales, Felipe VI and Maxim Huerta.

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